After a comedian at a Trump rally made racist remarks against Puerto Rican folks, Kamala Harris spent the time appealing to the community.
At Donald Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden in New York City, comedian and podcast host Tony Hinchcliffe spread racist remarks about shooing Latine/Latinx immigrants away from the border before cracking a joke about the population having “too many children.” He also referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage.”
After being rightfully called out on social media, he responded: “These people have no sense of humor.” He also said “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone…watch the whole set.”
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Meanwhile, Harris was in Philadelphia talking to the Puerto Rican community in the area, where she spoke to the owners of a Puerto Rican restaurant to talk about the best way to bring economic opportunities to local residents.
She also talked about how she made a note to visit Puerto Rico after 2017’s Hurricane Maria to “make sure Puerto Rico’s needs were met.” She was met with a crowd chanting “Sí, se puede,” referring to the United Farm Workers of America motto that means “Yes, it can be done” or “Yes, you can!”
The Trump campaign is meanwhile trying to distance themselves from the racist humor made by Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” said the Trump campaign’s senior advisor, Danielle Alvarez, in a statement given to NPR.
But the people know better. In light of Trump’s disastrous rally, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny responded by throwing his full weight behind Harris in an Instagram story, where he shared a clip of Harris’s speech concerning Trump’s failure to address the Puerto Rican community with the respect it deserves.
Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, and Jennifer Lopez have since followed suit, along with NYC Congressman Ritchie Torres.
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